One of 14th Street's mysteries--who will take over the former Shirt Laundry space located at 14th and Q streets--has been answered. Later this year, local restaurant developer The Whisk Group and Abdo Development will be bringing an Italian restaurant and bakery--Italian Shirt Laundry--to the currently dilapidated former drycleaners. According to a report from the Post's Tom Sietsema, blueprints have already been drawn up for the establishment. You have to believe that the plans will include some way to make use of what could be a lovely outdoor patio space fronting Q Street.
Whis Group owner Mark Weiss has indicated that he plans to have the operation running by the end of the year, but that seems ambitious. They have yet to appear before the ANC regarding a liquor license, and there have been concerns expressed regarding potential environmental remediation issues at the site (drycleaners, in spite of their name, don't leave particularly clean environments in their wake).
A little further down the street, at Abdo's offices at 1404 14th Street, yet another Italian restaurant developed by the Whisk Group--this one called the Italian Cinema--will move in. According to Sietsema, the Cinema will feature "pasta, charcuterie and, as the title suggests, Italian films screened against a wall on the restaurant's roof."
With Posto already entrenched along the east side of 14th Street in the former Veridian location, does this announcement make 14th Street the new hotbed for Italian cuisine in DC?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
"Italian Shirt Laundry" and "Italian Cinema" Headed for 14th Street
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Posto occupies a fairly large space, which is rarely full. They do solid business, but it'll be interesting to see if the neighborhood can support three Italian restaurants in as many blocks.
posto? rarely full? anonymous clearly doesn't ever visit Posto at prime times. Thursday-Sunday dinners are always full w/ hour+ waits.
That's right, Posto always seems to be buzzing and deservedly so.
I see no need for an Italian restaurant. Just as people can make their own cereal and pancakes, so people can make their own spaghetti and meatballs, or open up a can Chef Boyardee
Well I'm happy to hear about plans for an Italian restaurant in that space, for one! I love me some gnocchi! It's a great space, I recently took some photos there for my blog. For some reason I am just drawn to the way it looks from the outside. Check out my Bloomingdale blog: http://goodmorningbloomingdale.blogspot.com/
Posto is consistently mediocre. I welcome more competition, resulting in hopefully better food options.
do you remember when there was a proposal for the abdo building (where the "italian cinema" restaurant will be going) that included building a few more stories on top that would be cantilevered out over the top of the caribou next door? that would have been a fantastic and interesting project.
too bad DC doesn't generally do interesting.
Post a Comment